Atletico Beat 10-Man Real Madrid as Huijsen Red Card Fuels Debate

Atletico Madrid strengthened their position in the title race with a derby victory over Real Madrid at the Metropolitano, surviving a late Antonio Rudiger goal after Dean Huijsen’s second-half dismissal had tilted the contest towards the home side. The result left Real six points behind league leaders Barcelona and prompted fresh debate over refereeing consistency.

Madrid derby key points

The pivotal disciplinary decision came when referee Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias dismissed Huijsen after reviewing the incident. Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak did not dispute the referee’s authority to make the call, but questioned whether similar incidents were being judged by the same standard across La Liga.

Oblak referred to Atletico’s earlier experience against Villarreal, arguing that the logic behind the Huijsen decision should match the assessment of that previous dismissal. In his view, either both challenges merited a sending-off or neither did.

The derby’s tension had already spilled beyond the pitch at half-time, when players and staff from the two clubs were involved in an exchange near the tunnel. Oblak played down the incident, describing it as a disagreement between the sides rather than anything more serious, and said he had not realised dismissals had been reported.

Once Huijsen departed, Atletico made their numerical advantage count. Diego Simeone’s team pressed with intensity and maintained the combative discipline that unsettled Real for long stretches. Their display was built on the courage and commitment Oblak felt had characterised a recent run against difficult opponents.

Rudiger’s late goal denied Atletico a clean sheet and briefly reopened the match, but the home side protected their lead to secure three important points. Oblak acknowledged the concession had offered Real a route back into the game, while stressing that the result mattered most.

The goalkeeper also backed Julian Alvarez, who received a mixed reaction from parts of the Metropolitano crowd. Oblak believes the summer signing will earn the supporters’ full appreciation as his Atletico career develops.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, were angered by what they considered an uneven refereeing performance in a physical first half. Their strongest complaint centred on Cristian Romero avoiding a red card after a high challenge on Jude Bellingham, with Jose Mourinho’s staff believing that decision established a lenient threshold before Huijsen was later dismissed.

The defeat increases the pressure on Mourinho, whose side have been unable to turn enough of their attacking situations into decisive goals. Atletico leave the derby encouraged by their form and their ability to withstand the noise around a fiercely contested capital meeting.